If There Are Scandals, It Must Be Election Time!

Barnabas Powell

The headlines scream SCANDAL and the news stories keep pouring in. Sexual scandals, financial scandals, cover up scandals, all coming fast and furious and conveniently released close to election day. As the Church Lady would say "Isn't that special!"

We are approaching, what I believe to be, one of the most important elections in our recent history. It is an election that will be closely watched by our friends and our enemies. As our world continues to "shrink" and information technology continues to send immediate messages all around the world, we cannot ignore the messages our elections communicate to others.

As the world's only super power left, our elections mean more than just local politics. We Americans are fast losing the luxury of believing "all politics is local." It isn't. Not any more.

This election matters. Going to the polls matters. Your vote matters. It matters to our nation. It matters to our soldiers fighting to preserve our freedoms. It matters to your children who will have to live in the world you leave behind.

Because of this I trust that sober citizens will avoid falling into the trap of the incessant scandals meant to suppress this or that voting block. Don't allow the failings of humans to distract you from supporting policies that you believe in.

Every human vessel is made of clay and is prone to failing to live up to the ideals we all say we believe. But that does not negate the ideals themselves. It just shows that we humans are better at preaching than living, but who isn't.

This is not to excuse the guilty. Not at all. Those who make wrong choices have to live with the consequences of those choices.

But real policy differences exist between the political parties today, and I, for one, refuse to ignore this.

Innocent and voiceless children are still being aborted in this country. Our national borders are still a leaking sieve. There are ideological enemies in this world who really want to destroy us, and no amount of appeasement will satisfy their fanatical desire to subjugate the world to their ideology. The poor still suffer from a one size fits all nanny government mentality imposed on whole generations of poor by those who lie to them. Political correctness elevates mediocrity in education and public discourse, dumbing down a generation and making them beholden to those with power, both corporate and political. Tried and time tested visions of society and morality are still being attacked all in the name of foolish and self centered narcissistic men who value themselves over all else.

This election matters. Going to the polls matters. Your vote matters. It matters to our nation. It matters to our soldiers fighting to preserve our freedoms. It matters to your children who will have to live in the world you leave behind.

There are those who cynically will use the failings of some to tempt you with the lie that your vote doesn't matter. They are wrong, and when you vote, when you stand up for the values that made this nation the envy of the planet, you preserve for another day the bright promise of freedom.

Don't let these scandals keep you from standing up and making your voice heard. There is too much at stake during this election. There is too much to lose if the forces of appeasement and weak resolve are allowed to undo the work already done. There is too much to lose if we remain silent.